


Sugar We're Going Down Swinging

by nineafternoons



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, NSFW, architect!soonyoung, construction firm au, engineer!jihoon, romcom of some sorts, tags will be updated as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-05 23:38:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6727942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nineafternoons/pseuds/nineafternoons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If Soonyoung and Jihoon were buildings, they'd be made out of glass, emotional constipation and bad decisions. But they might as well make the most out of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Soonyoung rips the Kit Kat wrapper open, dragging his chair a considerable distance away from his blueprints, afraid that he might accidentally smudge the chocolate coating on it. Ruining a sealed half-a-million-dollar deal over chocolate won’t look good on his records, so he quickly eats two bars at once, wiping his fingers with his tongue after finishing the snack. A savage.

Perhaps it’s that time of the month wherein thoughts of business politics come into place and how dynasties must be stopped, for it’s a lesser form of dictatorship (at least in Soonyoung’s book.) Dynasties, inheritances and bourgeoisie privileges in the construction world—architectural, specifically—would always have someone basking under full glory, reigning over Autocad and drafting tubes, while the other scrapes off of eraser dusts and a broken T-square. For Soonyoung, it can go both ways. No, scratch that, he’s actually somewhere in the middle, swinging like a pendulum, either hitting jackpot or a lesser zero in his bank account.  So he couldn’t exactly complain, since he’s quite privileged (in some way) due to his skills, connections and charm. He’s a respected architect in the firm.

So here he was, eating off his pennies, hugging a green tea flavored Kit Kat bag against his stomach. The thing about firms is that it’s easier to get a project rather than those freelancers, so somehow, you are guaranteed not to rot atop your drafting table, holding a pencil with a broken lead. Although being a freelancer has its perks, Soonyoung thinks he’s better off being in the firm. He didn’t know how he became this greedy, but maybe it’s because he’s got nothing else better to do than draw, bringing aesthetics to life. There’s pride, too, if you look at it in a deeper sense, but he would never admit to that.

“You’re on your way to a promotion and yet here you are eating chocolate near your blueprints,” comments Seungkwan, picking up an empty wrapper on the floor. Soonyoung didn’t know how it got there. “Please observe proper waste disposal.”

“Sure, I might as well throw myself to the trash bin.”

Seungkwan rolls his eyes, taking approximately three long strides to steal the Kit Kat bag from Soonyoung. “Is star Architect Kwon Soonyoung going through a mental crisis right now?”

“Not exactly,” Soonyoung confesses, taking a pack of wet tissues in his drawer. He cleans his fingers thoroughly. “Seungkwan, how would you feel if you’re fighting over for a promotion against the President’s son?”

“At first, I’d feel intimidated, but then I’d feel bitter so I will probably say things like, ‘oh, the President’s son doesn’t deserve the promotion!’ but since we’re talking about Kwon Soonyoung as the President’s son, then it’s only rightful for him to get promoted because of his good looks and outstanding designs—”

Soonyoung lifts a hand, free from chocolate coating. “Enough.”

“I’m serious, though,” Seungkwan insists, giving him back the Kit Kat bag. “You’re one of the top architects in this firm. All the youngsters look up to you.”

“Thanks,” Soonyoung mutters. “Anyway, it’s not a sure promotion. I still have to handle yet another project as a final push.”

“Well, you have a lot of connections anyway. You practically attract all the referrals.”

“I’m going against Architect Lee Jooheon for the promotion,” Soonyoung informs as a matter of fact. It wasn’t like he needed to since everyone in the company—even the Interior Designers knew. “He’s a good man but hogs all the possible projects out there, so as a response, I kind of dislike him—except when he treats us soju for dinner.”

“That’s a tactic, I think,” Seungkwan suggests. “Why don’t you step up your game and buy us martinis?”

“When I get promoted,” says Soonyoung, slightly vexed for the condition of his wallet—but this notion proves his confidence, so that’s a good start. “And when I score a breakthrough project with one of our prestigious clients.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” the other architect nods. “So for the betterment of our people, you should go all out. I’m pertaining to you finding an outstanding Civil Engineer as your partner.”

“Youngjae is crossed out already since he’s quitting the firm,” he sighs, briefly remembering his pleasant company as a co-worker. They’ve been partners for three consecutive projects, though their latest one—a high-rise hotel—was Youngjae’s last. Good riddance, though, have fun in the rivalling firm, buddy. “But eventually, I can find a Civil Engineer. I’m feeling lucky.”

“You should be,” Seungkwan stands up, brushing invisible dust off his slacks. “It’s our company anniversary celebration tomorrow and some clients are attending. Make sure you do your necktie properly then, okay?”

 

『♛』

 

 

He doesn’t do his necktie properly.

He takes off his seatbelt, checking himself on the mirror before stepping out of his car, necktie neatly folded in his pocket. The ambience of the venue is opulent, the building a monotone palette with a huge glass window enough for him to see his co-workers littering by the grand staircase, holding a glass of wine, conversing with each other—some with clients.

So he’s late for a few minutes.

Tardiness isn’t that much of a problem at this minute as long as the opening ceremony hasn’t started. Plus, he hears another thump of a car door, so he isn’t the only one who’s late—which made him feel a bit better. Soonyoung stops in his tracks, briefly glancing back to see who it was, and much to his surprise and slight dismay, it was _him_.

“Architect Kwon,” the engineer greets, bowing slightly, his tone curt. Dismay would be a big word, though, since non-admittedly, Engineer Lee was civil with him (outside of work, of course.) He supposes the dismay should be pointed at the mirror, since he’s actually quite amused to bump into a star Engineer like Lee Jihoon. He doesn’t exactly know why, though.

He worked with Engineer Lee Jihoon awhile back, and so to say, it was quite the experience. He had to deal with his temperamental snapping over coffee, tea and glazed donuts, both of them almost spilling the mocha on the blueprints due to excessive hand gestures and pointing. They’ve had conversations about capitalism too, while they surveyed the perimeter of an ambitious hotel in the works, but other than that (and the arguments)— _nothing_. Not counting the part where they went out for drinks once. That’s an entirely different story. 

“Engineer Lee,” Soonyoung greets back, bowing as well. “You look quite dashing tonight.”

“All in a day’s work,” Jihoon replies smoothly, jumping into step with him. He eyes his chest then, mutely holding up his hand after. Soonyoung squints at him, catching the protocol. He takes out his necktie from his pocket.

Jihoon often comments about how incompetent he was in tying a tie whenever they cross paths by the lounge, which had Soonyoung challenging him once, ‘ _why don’t_ you _do my tie_?’ and to the architect’s surprise—the smaller male actually did, quickly finishing his coffee before undoing Soonyoung’s messy necktie, muttering, ‘ _this is how you fucking do it, idiot_. _’_

Thus, this routine. This thing. Engineer Lee doing his necktie.

It was quite a sight to behold, to be honest, especially if you’re a co-worker of theirs. Star employees, primes of their own fields, Architect Kwon Soonyoung and Engineer Lee Jihoon in a relative proximity, the latter doing the former’s tie at any given place, exasperated but quite spoiling. It’s a quirk.

“How come you still don’t know how to do your tie?”

“Because a guy like you does it for me.”

Jihoon tightens the tie, choking him. Soonyoung coughs. “Stop the flattering talk. I’m not a client.”

“Fine, you look like a piece of shit.”

“That’s more like it,” he gives his chest a slight pat, fixing his coat. “There. You look like shit, too, but less. Thanks to me.”

Soonyoung shortly laughs, offering his arm. “I see you don’t have any date.”

Jihoon takes it. “I have one now, unfortunately.”

“Anyone would kill to be my date.”

“Too bad.”

So they’re close. They might not meet in the firm, yes, but they do often chat. They have a professional relationship, Soonyoung believes. They don’t go anything beyond that. Jihoon does his neckties, they drank once, they chat and talk about work. It’s an unlikely bond.

When they enter the function hall, the President—Soonyoung’s dad—was in the middle of giving a speech, reliving the mission-vision of the company, stating how proud he was of how they achieved that and will continue on doing so. He used this speech last year and the years before that, but no one seems to notice except him.

He and Jihoon quickly card through the crowd, still arm in arm, careful of the steps they take since the venue was slightly dimmed, the spotlight on the President. Luckily, there was a table that consisted of their closest colleagues with two available seats. Soonyoung quietly greets them, leading Jihoon to sit first, pulling a chair for him.

Seconds after they sat down, the ceremony ends, officially starting the social gathering with an applause. It’s a good thing because when the lights turn back on, Soonyoung then proceeded to greet his friends, introducing Jihoon for mere politeness. Well he really needn’t to because Jihoon is just as well-known as he is in the company, but he doubts that he had ever interacted with this bunch. 

“Ah, I finally get to meet the prodigal Civil Engineer of the firm,” Architect Lee says, leaning forward for a handshake. Minhyuk never stops smiling. He never stops talking, too. One fond memory Soonyoung has of him was when he accidentally spilled orange juice all over Architect Lee Jooheon’s plan. ( _‘Ah, it’s okay Minhyuk. It was just a draft. Like a scratch paper.’_ Damn.)  “I am a huge fan. I’ve been wanting to work with you actually, but you seem so out of league, you know? Sometimes I even wonder why Architect Kwon hangs out with us.”

Jihoon smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes. Business. Soonyoung knows that gleam, the tone, the flattery. He uses it often too, especially in wooing a client. “Ah, Architect Lee, you’re too much. I would love to work with you one day. I heard you designed a restaurant for Mr. Oh once, correct?”

“Correct,” Minhyuk nods, grinning brightly. Just then, Wonwoo jumps in, asking, “so you two came as a date?”

Soonyoung nods, Jihoon casually following after. “Yeah.”

“What gives,” Junhui comments out of ponder. “I remember back in the days where you two wouldn’t stop spitting fire at each other,” Junhui is an Electrical Engineer like Hyunwoo. Both of them had worked with him a few years back.

“Well, we’ve known each other for years, so I think it’s quite plausible for us to maintain a professional, civil relationship.”

“Actually,” Soonyoung adds. “We still want to rip each other’s head off but tonight is different, I suppose.”

“Yes, I’ll have you all know there’s a reason why we don’t do projects together anymore.”

Soonyoung laughs, sucking in a short breath, his teeth clenched. He leans in, whispering to Jihoon, “I’ll go get us some drinks.” He then excuses himself from the others.

When he gets to the side of the function hall, where the variety of foods and drinks resided, a hand taps him on the shoulder. Soonyoung puts the drinks on hold but doesn’t turn around.

“Soonyoungie, help.”

“At what cost, Sejeong?”

Sejeong hums, leaning against the edge of the table, trying to find the right angle to hide her face. “I’ll treat you meat and a 20-year old wine, how’s that?”

“I could buy myself all of those. What I’m curious about is why do you keep on hiding when my sister is around?”

“Aren’t you straight to the point?” she takes the wine from his hand, gulping down the contents without stopping, her face scrunching in displeasure. She wipes her lips with the back of her hand, bracelets slightly grazing her face. It’s Cartier. “Well, let’s just say we’re not exactly in good terms right now, since I basically yelled some _things_ at her during our last Facetime. Hurray for long distance relationships!”

“I think Nayoung noona would like to talk to you if that were the case. Besides, you haven’t seen each other in months. Honestly, if my future sister-in-law is going to be like this then I’d be very disappointed. I’d probably create a dating app account for Nayoung noona to help her find a new partner.”

“Woah, yeah,” replies Sejong distractedly. “Wait, shit, her legs look so nice.”

“You’re helpless. Are you done?”

“No, wait.”

“I have a date,” Soonyoung informs, taking another glass of wine. “You deal with your own problem.”

“I hate you— _oh my god_ , she’s coming. Hide me.”

“Nayoung noona!” Soonyoung yells. He whispers to Sejeong, “good luck.”

“Fuck you.”

Soonyoung turns away, leaving an uneasy Sejeong who nervously got herself another glass of wine as if drinking can make Nayoung disappear. He purposely brushes past his sister, whispering a quick advice, “your girlfriend is having a mental breakdown. Make it up to her.”

“Before you give me advice, why don’t you mind your own date? He just left earlier.”

Soonyoung purses his lips. “I expected that.”

He exits the venue, carefully trudging down the staircase for he doesn’t want the wine to spill and cause any incidents. Women were wearing high heels and men don’t seem to care enough with the steps. From here, he could see Jihoon’s car. He falls into a faster pace, driven by the sheer will of sharing wine with the engineer. His pride is on the line too.

Wordlessly, Soonyoung opens the door to Jihoon’s car, holding both glasses in one hand, thankful that it wasn’t locked or else the momentum would’ve been broken. He sits on the shotgun seat, uncaring of Jihoon’s natural question—or expression, rather: _what the fuck?_

“That isn’t really a nice thing to say after ditching,” Soonyoung says, handing him the red wine. “Here I was, being nice and generous, but as usual, Engineer Lee—you never fail me.”

“I don’t need your opinion of me or whatsoever,” he drinks. “If you’re going to continue with the bullshit, then I might have to ask you to politely leave and get out of my car.”

“But we still haven’t finished our drinks.”

Jihoon then gulps all of the contents down, shoving the empty wine glass on Soonyoung’s hand. “There. Now leave.”

“For an engineer, you’re quite anti-social,” Soonyoung says. “You could’ve told me you were bothered, and we could’ve gone to somewhere else.”

“No need, really. And they aren’t my clients, so I don’t really need to flatter them.”

“But they could still refer you to the clients they can’t handle. You have to be nicer and less scary.”

“ _Why?_ Do you think I’m scary?” Jihoons asks seriously. It wasn’t sarcastic nor conceding, so Soonyoung decides to answer him genuinely. He props his feet up the compartment box of the car.

“I don’t think you’re scary, Jihoon,” Soonyooung says.

“Okay,” he takes the wine glasses from Soonyoung’s hands, placing it on the cup holders, pretending as if it fit. It could do for now. “Do you…want to go back to the dinner?”

“Why did you leave in the first place?”

“I said I was going to the bathroom anyway, so it wouldn’t be awkward if I went back. Besides, the food is free.”

“You haven’t answered my question.”

“Why do you care?”

“Just because,” Soonyoung simply says. “You spend a lot of time by yourself if not with your clients or workers. For someone who builds bridges, you cut them off.”

“I didn’t want to attend the celebration in the first place. I initially planned to leave earlier, so I apologize for dragging you here with me. It’s okay if you want to go back, some people might be looking for you.”

“Yeah, some people might be looking for me. My older sister, especially, since she came from the other side of the country, handling our company’s branch there. My clients, too, probably. I might go back if I’m feeling family-oriented or business-oriented, but I’m not going to. My sister is with her girlfriend and most of my clients are a pain in the ass; stuck-up, unreasonable sometimes, but good money. There are rare occurrences when we drink together, because I think they’re a lot nicer than the bunch I’ve been with. But still, I’m not going back there unless you come with me.”

“What are you oriented in right now then?”

Soonyoung grins. “Jihoon-oriented.”

“You suck,” the engineer replies, rolling his eyes. He takes off his seatbelt. “Your persuasion skills are still impressive.”

“All in a day’s work, Engineer Lee. That’s how you get through with this kind of job. Not that I’m saying this is business or anything. Sometimes I’d like to think we are friends.”

“We’re not friends,” Jihoon says, stepping out of the car. Soonyoung follows.

“Of course we aren’t.”

 

 

It gets better.

They spend the whole night just talking to each other, occasionally with some of their co-workers and clients if approached. But other than that, they spent the majority of their evening with each other’s company. If he were to record, this would be the longest time he was on the same ground as Jihoon. And it was a good thing.

“That’s Architect Jeon, Engineer Kim and of course, you’re already familiar with Engineer Wen. They’re kind of in a love triangle, it’s really interesting to watch,” Soonyoung had his arm around the back of Jihoon’s chair, whispering gossip. They sounded like high school students gushing over every little news over homeroom, but both couldn’t really care less, because somehow, this kind of entertainment was therapeutic. Jihoon laughs and it’s a good sign. “Really?”

Soonyoung nods. “Not only that. But Architect Lee, the talkative blonde earlier? And Engineer Son? They’re a thing. In fact, I think they’re dating already. Office romance must be a thing these days.”

“That was kind of expected. Engineer Son takes care of Architect Lee a lot.”

“Unexpected too, if you knew them beforehand. Engineer Son would always complain about loud people, but after dating Architect Lee, he’s a changed man.”

Jihoon hums. “I have gossip, too.”

“I’m all ears.”

“It’s about you and me, though.”

Soonyoung raises his eyebrows. “Interesting.”

“Apparently, there’s this company chat box. We’re not included there, though, because we’re mostly what they talk about.”

“Get out,” Soonyoung says, quite baffled. He takes a drink. “Are you serious?”

Jihoon nods. “My computer was broken so I had to borrow an intern’s. It was late at night, and you know, I usually overtime. The owner of the computer I borrowed already left, so I had some sort of liberty. But I didn’t mean to look at _it_ , I swear!”

“But you saw it.” _He’s so cute._

“I did.”

“What did you see, then, Engineer Lee?” asks Soonyoung, amused. He rests his cheek on his palm, elbow on the littered table, whiskey staining the cloth.

“The chat box. People were saying how intimidating and scary you are, but quote-unquote,” Jihoon crooks his fingers in the air. “‘Dashingly handsome.’”

“They only speak the truth.”

Jihoon narrows his eyes. There were still a lot of people in the venue for the better half of the party, waiters bustling around, their co-workers wooing clients. A dirtied macaroon rests amongst the glitz and the glamour on the floor. He sees his father somewhere too, but he focuses on Jihoon instead, who looked like he found a national treasure in the form of an intern’s chat box. He could be talkative if he wanted to. “Funny. But anyway— _wait,_ I don’t want to say it.”

“Hey, finish what you started. I’m really curious now.”

“But it’s about me.”

“I’m still curious.”

“Don’t laugh, okay?”

“Fine, I won’t laugh.”

“Okay,” he takes a deep breath. “There were some guys who said that I was scary, too. And that…I was their type? It was confusing—especially when they said that I looked like a good fuck.”

Soonyoung suppresses a laugh but it wasn’t a humorous one. Something boils inside his chest, churning the insides of his stomach. “Tell me who they were.”

“No need to,” Jihoon says quickly. “Because I really don’t give a shit about that. The highlight of this gossip is what they said after.”

“Okay,” Soonyoung clenches his fist. “What did they say?”

“Someone said, ‘isn’t Architect Kwon and Engineer Lee dating?’”

Soonyoung falters. He bursts into fits of laughter. “What the hell?”

“I know right.”

“We aren’t dating.”

“I know.”

“We aren’t even friends.”

“I know!”

“They’re ridiculous,” Soonyoung leans back against his chair. Really ridiculous.

“Totally,” agrees Jihoon, who did the same. He clears his throat, looking to his left. “Anyway, what’s happening over there?”

It’s a good tactic to change the topic, since Soonyoung would’ve been sweating under his expensive suit if they continued to talk about their dating rumor. It wasn’t the first time this happened. Jihoon is an okay person, for the lack of better term. Smart, sharp, good-looking and smells nice—occasionally, he’s kind and talkative, but he wouldn’t think he’d survive relationship-wise. That or he doesn’t really fancy admitting that he had indeed, at one point, thought about Jihoon in that light. Not when all they did was scream and argue at each other in the workplace. Not when Jihoon does his neckties and is extremely pleasant this evening. Feelings are weird.

But Jihoon is placid these days, smiles at him even, sends him heart emojis in KKT sometimes. Whenever the engineer did, his phone would slip from his hands, dropping on his face. He’d be suspicious but Jihoon proves otherwise by sending him a photo of himself. He saves it on his camera roll.

“Beats me,” Soonyoung squints at the gathering crowd by the platform. He cranes his neck a little, bettering his view—endpoint: he really wished he didn’t. A voice booms into the air—soft, thin and promising. He knew that voice all too well from the never-ending nagging and comfort in his whole existence. 

“ _Will you marry me?_ ”

Jihoon speaks up. “Isn’t that your sister proposing to Sejeong?”

Soonyoung sips his whiskey. “I don’t know them.”

“You’re still overprotective, huh?”

“I’m going to kill Sejeong.”

“Sejeong is your best friend.”

“I spare no one,” Soonyoung says, stretching his arms. He frowns. “How do you remember all of this?”

“I have a great memory. Apparently, I don’t have much to remember, since I only chat with a few people. That includes you.” replies Jihoon. He uses a wine glass to point at Sejeong and Nayoung. “Sejeong just said ‘yes.’”

“Of course she would,” Soonyoung mumbles. “Hey, do I look really sulky right now?”

“Sort of, yeah.”

“It’s because I have to pay up. I lost a bet to Sejeong.”

“Let me guess, it’s the ‘who gets married first’ kind of bet?”

“Yeah,” Soonyoung nods. “It’s kinda dumb but I hope she doesn’t remember it.”

“Let’s just hope for the best then,” Jihoon finishes with a smile.

The night ends there—for the both of them, specifically. He walks Jihoon to his car, bids him goodbye and watches him drive off the parking lot. They weren’t friends. They were just simply co-workers who look out for each other.

“Next time, don’t ditch me when we go on anniversary dinners.”

“Depends if you looked nice, Architect Kwon. Good night.”

He goes back to the venue to properly bid his father a goodbye, considering the fact that he hadn’t talked to him for the whole evening; busy with Jihoon, busy talking to some of his co-workers and catching up with his clients. He should congratulate his sister, too, for being engaged. But it seemed unlikely since she and Sejeong were probably snogging each other somewhere, giggling in between kisses.

He was wrong, though.

“You didn’t tell me you were dating Engineer Lee,” Nayoung says, appearing beside him, looking for some leftovers over the buffet. “I thought we’d tell each other everything.”

“You didn’t tell me you were going to propose to Sejeong tonight so we’re quits.”

“You should sound at least supportive, Soonyoungie. Sejeong is an amazing woman. I love her.” Nayoung gives him a bruschetta. “If you’re wondering, she’s somewhere, talking with some of her clients. But how about you? You seem _very_ interested towards Jihoon.”

“I don’t like Jihoon,” Soonyoung says, wiping his mouth with a tissue. He gulps the snack down. “We’re not dating.”

“When will you stop denying? I’m curious. You keep on telling me that you aren’t friends and don’t interact much, when you two literally went as dates tonight.”

“We don’t interact enough to be called as ‘romantic partners,’ noona. That’s what I meant.”

“Sure, but do you like him?”

“I just told you I don’t.”

“Whatever you say, baby brother,” Nayoung sighs, wiping her hands on her matte, black dress. “Anyway, Dad went home already, said that parties give him a headache. He told me to inform you this, though: he said to free yourself for a week. We’re going on a vacation with the whole family. Sejeong is coming with us, since you know, sooner or later, she’s going to be part of us.”

“Great,” Nayoung purses her lips, about to take her leave—but before she does, she tells Soonyoung, “and you’re going to get that promotion. Just work hard. I believe in you.”

 

『♛』

 

 

_got home safely?_

_yeah. you?_

_mhmm, thanks for the night, by the way._

_okay, goodnight then. see u at work._

_i’m bringing a necktie_

_you know my floor._

 

 

 

“There,” Jihoon pats his chest, just after he finished readjusting Soonyoung’s maroon tie to a comfortable scale. “You’re good to go.”

“I’m meeting the President—along with Architect Lee,” Soonyoung says, taking a deep breath. 

“Jooheon?” he swings his feet, careful not to hit Soonyoung’s knees. He’s sitting on a high table, a bag of Kisses beside him. He just finished early lab work when Soonyoung came to him, wordlessly handing him his tie. The Kisses are his breakfast.

“Yeah,” Soonyoung nods. Jihoon gulps the Kisses he had been chewing for a solid second. He opens another one and feeds Soonyoung. The latter eats it nervously.

“I think I’m going to pee.”

“You’re not going to pee.”

He rests his head on Jihoon’s shoulder. He groans, “I’m fucked.”

Jihoon awkwardly taps Soonyoung’s back, clearing his throat. He’s too close. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you can get that promotion. You’re strong at referrals anyway, so you’re going to get a project in no time.”

“Hope so,” he puffs his cheeks, breath smelling of chocolate.

“Go get that promotion, okay? You’re going to handle more projects then, and eventually we’ll coincide. I miss roasting you these days. Try to be more unpleasant.”

“I am lovely,” Soonyoung says, clutching his chest dramatically. He eyes the bag of Kisses. “Can I have more Kisses?”

_“Engineer Lee—”_

 “That sounded so wrong,” Jihoon whispers, then pressing his lips into a thin line. He looks up to Chan, an intern, who gaped at them.

“Yes, Chan?” Jihoon grits his teeth. “What do you need?”

“Engineer Kang needs you for soil testing at lab four,” Chan says slowly, still in a state of shock. “But if you’re—” he gulps. “Busy, then…”

“No it’s fine,” he hops off the table. “I’ll be there in a jiffy. You can go now, thanks.”

He turns to Soonyoung as soon as Chan takes his leave, running off to his computer probably, opening _the_ chat box. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. In fact, it’s honorable to get linked with you.”

“Go away,” Jihoon playfully pushes him. “Good luck with the President.”

“Good luck with Engineer Kang. How come you’ve been doing a lot of lab works?”

“I got nothing else to do anyway. I just finished a project earlier this month,” they walk out of his office, their co-workers turning their heads to peek at them. Jihoon internally scoffs. “Okay, go now. You can do it.”

“Thank you, Engineer Lee,” he leans in. “People are staring at us.”

“I don’t really care.”

“Okay,” Jihoon nods. Suddenly, he feels his phone vibrate inside his pocket. “Wait give me a sec— _hello?_ Yes, this is—oh, uh,” he throws Soonyoung a nervous look. He pushes him to the empty elevator, stuttering behind his phone. “Yes, _President_. He is with me right now.”

“What the fuck,” Soonyoung mouths, jabbing the close button repeatedly. “Jihoon?”

He holds a palm up. “Yes, Architect Kwon is with me right now. Oh, I should come up with him to your office? Okay, we’re on our way. Thank you. Bye.”

“What the fuck?” repeats Soonyoung, banging his head on the elevator wall. “What just happened?”

“I hope I get a raise or I don’t get fired, that’s what. The President doesn’t really call anyone if those weren’t the cases,” he glares at Soonyoung. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Soonyoung promises in the midst of a mental breakdown. He was calm before the whole ordeal, but now that Jihoon was with him, he felt like caging himself in a dark hole, never to be found again. “I swear.”

“Let’s see,” Jihoon decides, tone clipped. He crosses his arms. “I’m going to murder you.”

“I’ll even help you, don’t worry.”

 

 

The style of the President’s office isn’t much different from their own, but it’s significantly bigger to hold a six-people audience. Jihoon has been in the company long enough to know who Nayoung is (if he excluded Soonyoung’s stories about her)—she’s tall, her face is almost always blank—but she’s known to be very organized and responsible, had set the standards high with her leadership and efficient skills. Beside her was Kim Sejeong, a star Interior Designer in the firm. She’s always smiling. Why was she always smiling?

In front by the table was of course, the President. What sets him apart from other bosses was that he's very lenient and has a friendly atmosphere. It feels nice to work under his firm, since most probably, chances of dying are deducted into a half a hundred percent. But still.

It doesn’t end there.

“Grandma?” Soonyoung greets—tries to. He looked nervous.

That.

Jihoon have never met Soonyoung’s grandma before. In fact, this was the first time he was set in a room with three of Soonyoung’s relatives. Four if he counts Sejeong in technical terms. Then a big question mark pops.

What was he doing here?

“Ah, Soonyoungie! Sit down, sit!” Soonyoung’s grandma turns to him. “You too, sweetie.”

“Oh, uh,” Jihoon sits beside Soonyoung, but before he could say anything else, Sejeong comments, “isn’t this fun? It’s like a family gathering!”

“Oh, Sejeong dear, you’re so sweet. You too, Nayoung. Come, sit.”

“ _Soonyoung,_ what’s happening?” whispers Jihoon as subtle as he could, barely moving his lips.

“How would I know?” Soonyoung replies. “Just go with the flow.”

“I’m here to announce that I’m—” she takes Soonyoung’s hands. “Going to offer my precious grandson a project.”

Soonyoung’s Dad—the President—speaks up. “You see, for the information of everyone—” he pointedly stares at Jihoon. “Our Grannie here is one of the most valuable clients we have in this company. Even if she’s my mother-in-law, it is still a great pleasure for her to choose our firm for her next desired business agenda.”

“True, true,” Soonyoung’s grandma nods wistfully. “However, initially, I only plan to give this project to a couple—” there’s a slight pause. This is a big break for Soonyoung but the latter stiffens, holds his breath in disappointment. “That’s why I asked Doyoung to call up Engineer Lee here with you. Nayoung told me you two are very much in love and dating.”

Soonyoung glares at Nayoung. Nayoung just shrugs.

“I plan to build an amusement park with romantic partners as the target audience. I thought that it’d be a splendid idea to give this project to—well—romantic partners. I heard Engineer Lee here is a Civil Engineer, right? A perfect fit for an Architect.”

Soonyoung licks his lips. “Gran, Jihoon and I we aren—”

“Sweetie, this is perfect!” Jihoon squeals— _fake_ squeals. To God be the glory. Soonyoung owes him unlimited meat now. His heartbeat turns a tempo faster, red softly painting his cheeks. Soonyoung blinks at him, trying to find the right words to say, but Jihoon presses his heel on the Architect’s foot, forcibly telling him to play along. “Grannie,” Jihoon forces a smile on his lips. “Soonyoungie and I would love to take the project. Right, babe?”

Soonyoung— _gone._ “Of-of course…”

“Oh, I’m so happy for the both of you!”

“You made a good choice, son,” Soonyoung’s Dad says, smiling at him with his lips closed. “Which brings me to this: before you two survey the land, why don’t Jihoon come with us in our short family vacation!”

“Oh, that would be lovely,” Nayoung comments, side-eyeing a sweating Soonyoung.

“T-that…would…be…nice.”

_Get your fucking head in the game, Kwon._

Jihoon holds Soonyoung’s hand. “I can’t wait then, Mr. President!”

 

 

『♛』

 

 

“I owe you my life.”

“And meat,” Jihoon comments, wiping his hand against his slacks. “You totally chickened out there.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, _sweetie_. I didn’t know I had a boyfriend.”

“Shut up,” Jihoon sighs, running his fingers through his hair. “You should be thankful. I saved your ass right there.”

“I know,” Soonyoung stares up the ceiling of the elevator. “The project is probably going to be my biggest break.”

“That’s why I did it,” mumbles Jihoon.

“Thank you,” Soonyoung stares at him, looking at him straight in the eye. “I really owe you.”

“It’s okay, I don’t have any projects coming up,” he clears his throat. “Anyway, everything—this whole fake dating thing—is going to be under my conditions, okay?”

“Okay, right. Of course.”

The elevator dings open. A whole lot of employees gathered in front of them, holding suitcases, checking their watches, fixing their hair. But when they see Soonyoung and Jihoon, they immediately stiffen. Put two star workers together in a cramped space, and you might as well ride the VIP elevator.

Then an idea pops inside Jihoon’s head, stuffing itself between Maths, Physics and type of soils. If they were going to pretend, then they should be at least credible. It’s going to be a hell-bent hassle if the President or Soonyoung’s grandma finds out that they weren’t really dating. So for the sake of everyone, Jihoon stands on his tippy toes, and presses his lips against Soonyoung’s, cupping his jaw. A gasp comes from the audience thereafter.

The elevator door closes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> more emotional constipation and actual bgm

“According to estimates, this soil is good enough for a 20-story complex, so I think you should revise the plan a little and down the floors to that,” Jihoon takes off his goggles, “the soil is pretty weak compared to other available lands. Why did the client choose that place?”

“It’s memorable for her,” Seungyoon answers simply, stretching, cracking his knuckles in the process. He dusts off his pants, narrowing his eyes at Jihoon—who dutifully places his gown on the rack. “Engineer Lee, we’ve been best friends since college, correct?”

“Yes, Engineer Kang,” he returns to his seat. “You always use this as your opening statement whenever I did something wrong or quote-unquote ‘broke the best friend code.’”

“Best friends tell each other everything.”

“Oh no,” Jihoon mutters.

“Word gets around fast in this firm,” informs Seungyoon, taking out his phone. He makes a few clicks and flashes a—as what others would call a ‘scandalous but juicy’—photo. “Especially when PDA between co-workers is involved.”

“Fuck,” Jihoon breathes, dragging Seungyoon’s wrist down. “I don’t want to see that picture again.”

“You’re so into kissing Architect Kwon here.”

“That literally happened an hour ago,” he pauses. “Wait, are you part of the company chat box?”

Seungyoon pockets his phone. “Not exactly. I have access but I don’t lurk around that much. It’s just composed of interns and long-time workers who got nothing better to do, but,” he dabs his lips together. “It’s quite interesting sometimes, mostly because they talk about you and Architect Kwon dating.”

“Jesus take the wheel.”

“So that’s where breaking the best friend code comes in,” he rests his arm on the table, in it for a grill. “So you like Architect Kwon. And you two are dating.”

“Well—”

“I’m not yet done,” Seungyoon holds his palm up. “Let me finish.”

Jihoon sighs, “fine. Go ahead.”

“So you like Architect Kwon. And you two are dating. Which one is the lie?”

Jihoon thumps his head on the table, arms loosely dangling off his sides. A late grain of adobe soil tickles his eyes, blinking rapidly as a response. If he looks at it in another angle, it’d be a good excuse and outlet to cry. But Seungyoon knows better.

“Both,” Jihoon finally answers, cheek against the wood, lips conforming a pout. “All of them are lies.”

“Really now? You know I have receipts.”

“Okay, fine!” says Jihoon, sitting up. He rubs his cheek with the back of his fingers. “Just because I liked him _before_ , doesn’t mean I still like him _now_. He’s a very respected Architect, a great man in general, but—” he licks his lips. “I don’t like him romantically anymore. I just like him as a colleague.”

“Of course, you do,” Seungyoon nods. “You don’t like him anymore.”

“Correct. I don’t like him anymore.”

“Of course, you _don’t_ ,” Jihoon nods along with him. “Which leads me to this question: why were you two kissing?”

“It’s complicated,” Jihoon answers without missing a beat.

“I’m an understanding man,” Seungyoon insists. “Go on, I’m all ears.”

“Well, it was a lovely morning. On the way to work, I bought myself a pack of Kisses in the convenience store right across the firm. It was—” he bites his tongue.

“It was what, Jihoon?” asks Seungyoon as if he was urging Jihoon to confess to a crime.

“It was…Soonyoung’s favorite flavor. The cookies and crème one,” he lets out a deep breath. Arrest him. “Anyway, after I did his necktie and ate some of my Kisses, the President suddenly called us to his office,” Jihoon shivers. “Turns out, it was a mini family meeting. I didn’t know what I was doing there, but hey, apparently not only do our co-workers think Soonyoung and I were dating. His family does, too. The interesting part is this: Soonyoung’s Grandma offered him a project, and she will only give it to him if he had a romantic partner, which is in line with the theme of the project. That’s where I come in.”

“Okay, so you’re telling me, you and Architect Kwon are going to pretend to date each other for a project? Is that it?”

“Bingo,” he clucks his tongue. “It’s a big deal for Soonyoung, because if he lands that project, he’s going to get a promotion.”

“Yeah, it’s a big deal for Soonyoung all right,” Seungyoon says. “And assuming that you don’t like him anymore, why did you agree with all of this?”

“I told you,” Jihoon reiterates, “it’s a big deal for him.”

“I know. What I meant is: what’s in it for you, Jihoon?”

Jihoon opens and closes his mouth. There’s a satisfied smirk on Seungyoon’s lips. Jihoon had lost.

Seungyoon gives him a close-lipped smile after, tapping him briefly on the shoulder, which by the way, Jihoon interprets as a cheap form of comfort—teasing, rather. Jihoon wipes the dust off of him, grumbling at his bastard of a best friend. Seungyoon takes it as a fond gesture and wishes him and Soonyoung a happy life before taking his leave.

The walk to the labs to the firm isn’t that far. It’s evening already and the firm is pretty much alive instead of stagnant. It’s not an unusual sight, for sure, but for Jihoon, it might as well is. For the past months, he had been driving back and forth between labs, sites, and different meeting venues. Some employees might’ve retired and he wouldn’t know, and he’d meet new faces, crossing past them unless he deems them important or valuable.

He avoids the elevator he and Soonyoung used earlier (where they kissed, but he doesn’t think too much of it. Really.) It’s better than curling his shoulders together to make space for himself in an elevator full of people.

He then finds himself on the Architect’s floor, his sleek, black shoes against the shiny tiles, unwilling and slightly regretful. There’s house music playing through the PA, and Jihoon wonders if it was really necessary since there were probably some Architects drawing their plans—but not in this hour, he supposes.

There’s some sort of fascination in the Architectural department of the firm. Unique might be the word. They traditionally play music at this time of the night, doesn’t mind the watery coffee, constantly suggests painting a mural on the walls, and unsurprisingly, swoons over Soonyoung’s feet. That or they’re just scared of him.

Soonyoung’s outside of his office, the sleeves of his polo rolled up to his elbow. He had taken off his tie, so significantly, he looked more casual than formal. In front of him stood three interns, hands folded and heads bowed, one almost backing up against a tall, potted plant. Soonyoung flips through a clipped document, eyes flitting between the papers and the interns, a frown gracing his features. 

Jihoon walks briskly towards the Architect, unfazed by the sudden murmurs and the eventual silence that came after. Even the song playing in the PA halts. Suddenly—

 

_Starlight is shining down_

_Shalalalalalala_

 

Jihoon sighs.

“What are you doing here?”

Someone whips out their phone. Not just one, but a ton of them. They hide their devices by covering the back of its cases, creatively using circular pencil cases to innovation. ‘Fading Starlight’ is still playing in the background.

Soonyoung laughs. If he blinked right at that moment, he would’ve missed it. He was glad he didn’t, because, for some reason, he felt some sort of satisfaction for not being the only one who plucked the irony of the situation. But he doesn’t show emotion. Jihoon firmly believes that when in doubt, keep a resting bitch face.

He pushes Soonyoung to his office by the stomach, closing the door with his leg. He then answers Soonyoung’s question earlier, “we should…have a discussion.”

“Okay,” replies Soonyoung, draping his coat over his arm while he looked for his suitcase. “But let’s do it somewhere else. I’m starving.”

 

 

 

“Fuck,” Jihoon says. “I love chicken.”

“Me too,” Soonyoung says while chewing. He takes another bite, tightly gripping the leg of the chicken for its heavily sauced and might slip from his hold.

Jihoon takes a blinding amount of tissue, probably more than what he needed. He wipes Soonyoung’s mouth, gently dabbing the sauce off his face. The latter leans in and lets him. “You’re such a messy eater. Do I have to do this to you every single time?”

“Yeah,” Soonyoung nods, mouth clean. “It’s kind of like the same thing as me not learning to tie neckties because you do it for me.”

“But I don’t eat dinner with you all the time.”

“We can make an arrangement.”

Jihoon scowls. “I yearn for pleasant evenings, so I don’t think dinners with you can help satisfy my simple wish.”

“Ouch,” Soonyoung hovers his hand over his chest, careful not to stain the sauce on his white polo shirt. “You hurt me, Engineer Lee. Shouldn’t you be nicer because you’re my boyfriend now?”

Jihoon tsks, taking more tissue. Soonyong leans in once again. “Yes, honey, I’ll be nicer.”

Jihoon wipes another batch of sauce on Soonyoung’s face, subsequently shoving the tissue in his mouth. Soonyoung laughs. “As expected.”

“Anyway,” Jihoon starts, sipping his iced tea. He originally wanted soju, but Soonyoung insisted for a completely sober night. The last time they drank alcohol together lead them a formidable night. Jihoon shudders. “What do we tell your family when they ask us how we _supposedly_ got together?”

“Well, I should think we should stick close to what we have right now,” Soonyoung says. “I thought about it thoroughly a while ago. I came up with an award-winning monologue.”

“Go ahead. I’ll be extremely nitpicky about this.”

Soonyoung clears his throat. “Once upon a time, there was an Architect and an Engineer—” Jihoon rolls his eyes. “The first time they worked on a project together, sparks literally flew. Literally. They met in a welding studio. You know when you weld metals, sparks—”

“I get it.”

“Okay. So anyway, the Engineer of course, was the one who liked the Architect first. He loved the Architect so much, always talked about how handsome and smart—”

“I’m going to kill you.”

“But the Architect fell in love with the Engineer, too. At first, it was out of pity—”

“I hope you choke in your sleep.”

“You know, eventually, the Architect felt genuine feelings for the Engineer. They went on dates, they kissed, and may I say, the Engineer’s ass looks quite nice and—”

“Okay, stop. Stop right there,” Jihoon frowns. “From all the things you said, none of them came close to the truth.”

“What do you mean?” Soonyoung’s eyebrows shot up innocently. “Your ass really looks nice.”

“Kwon Soonyoung, do you check out my ass?”

Soonyoung presses his lips together. “I’m a man of aesthetics,” he explains simply. “Therefore, I appreciate aesthetics.”

“I am this close,” he holds up his index finger and thumb finger together, the distance a size of a hair strand. “To quitting. Go find yourself a new fake boyfriend.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

Jihoon glares at him. “I’m reminding you. This whole fake dating thing is going to be under my conditions.”

“Let’s see if you can come up with something better,” Soonyoung challenges, cleaning his fingers with a tissue. They’ve piled all the used ones onto an empty, dirty plate.

“Where did we first meet again?” Jihoon asks.

“A welding studio.”

“Right, you were so annoying then.”

“You almost killed me. I almost burned myself with a reforming metal.”

“Hey. That was your fault, not mine. I was just standing beside you that time.”

“But you laughed. Along with the others.”

Jihoon threatens him with a chopstick. “Grow up, Kwon.”

“Okay, sweetie, I will. Now, what’s our story?”

“If anything, we shouldn’t pull the love at first sight trope. Let’s start with our second project. Just say that ever since then, we got close. And then you know, it just kind of happened? Keep it simple.”

“But can I say you were totally whipped for me?”

“Whatever makes you happy,” Jihoon sighs, putting down the utensil. “Just don’t exaggerate.”

Actually, it was after their second project that they got close. The first one was, of course, the testing waters kind of thing, calculative and hyperaware of each other’s presence. Both were just starting in the firm, forced to work together as a credibility test. Jihoon is very specific when it comes to choosing colleagues, and around that time, Soonyoung was at the bottom of the list. He doesn’t really fancy dealing with a guy who doesn’t get the concept of right plumbing. Architects.

(Soonyoung made it work in the end, though. The hotel’s plumbing is actually quite nice.)

Jihoon could tell Soonyoung was the same, too.

“I have a question. What’s in it for you? I’m sure you’d want something out of this.”

Jihoon purses his lips. It’s different when Soonyoung asks the question, so he says smoothly, “unlimited meat. And alcohol, when I’m feeling like it.”

“Deal,” Soonyoung nods. He holds out a hand. “Let’s seal it.”

Jihoon takes it.

 

『♛』

 

_pls bring a sunblock spf 70_

_bring one of ur own, kwon_

_i have one!! but it’s gonna run out soon : <_

_have a sunburn for all i care_

_that’s not very nice of you, babe_

 

Soonyoung rips a popsicle open. He splits it into two and gives the other half to Jihoon, who sat beside him with his legs crossed, immersed on a vacation site. They arrived at the airport an hour early, now waiting for Nayoung and Sejeong. Soonyoung’s Gran, however, left right after that _fateful day_ , said she’d prepare the place nicely for them. For all he knows, a welcoming party must’ve been in the talks. He hopes the opposite.

“Soonyoung, your vacation house has a beach behind it, right?”

“Yeah,” replies Soonyoung, finishing the popsicle. “Why are you looking for vacation packages? I could just tour you around.”

“I’m looking for possible places to visit,” Jihoon says, eating the chocolate popsicle before it could melt on his fingers. “I’ve never been to Jeju before, so.”

“I rarely visit our vacation house there, but I know it well enough to show my boyfriend around,” Soonyoung says, leaning against the post. “But I’m telling you, the beach is really beautiful. You might not want to leave after seeing it. Ever.”

“Then it must be a really nice place,” he hands Soonyoung the popsicle-stick. “I’m not a big fan of beaches though,” he scrunches his nose. “I hate it when the sand infiltrates my sandals.”

Soonyoung laughs. “ _Infiltrates_. Right. I’ll just carry you then. Piggyback or bridal style?”

“None. I’ll just stay under an umbrella, read a book, drink a glass of four seasons and relax,” Jihoon says.

“You thought about this a lot, huh,”

“Thanks to you. You kept me up all week.”

“Well, we had to be accurate with everything. Warning: my Gran asks a lot of questions. She did it to Sejeong before.”

“How did Sejeong handle it?” Jihoon asks.

“She did well. She and Nayoung were in a real relationship, anyway.”

“I still know stuff about you, though.”

“Okay, what’s my favorite Kit Kat flavor?”

“Green tea.”

“Kisses?”

“Cookies and crème.”

“My favorite TV show?”

“Pororo.”

“We’re good to go, then,” Soonyoung decides, confident. He rubs his fingers together, “do you have alcogel?”

“Here,” Jihoon says, handing him a small bag. “It’s plum.”

Soonyoung takes the zipper between his ring finger and palm, careful not to dirty the bag with dry chocolate. He spots the plum alcogel bottle easily despite its small size, but his eyes attend to something else entirely. He grins.

“There are two bottles of SPF 70 sunblock here.”

“The other one is for you,” Jihoon says, shrugging, staring at where Nayoung and Sejeong would supposedly pass. “You said you were running out.”

“Thank you,” Soonyoung smiles at Jihoon. “Really.”

“It’s okay,” replies Jihoon.

Soonyoung squirts a generous amount of alcogel on his palm, then cleansing his fingers thoroughly, doing his best to wipe off the remnants of the sticky chocolate substance. The alcogel smells nice. He waves his hands in the air for a cooler, quicker dry. “You’re really sweet.”

“I know,” Jihoon says, taking the alcogel from Soonyoung’s lap. “Do we…have to do real’ couply stuff? Like holding hands?”

“Of course, we should. And it’s easy,” he entwines his hand with Jihoon’s. “See?”

“When you almost chickened out during your Gran’s visit, we held hands. I know basic skinship,” he moves closer. “Don’t underestimate me too much.”

_“Oh, look at these cute love birds!”_

Jihoon jumps. He pulls his hand out, but Soonyoung’s grip doesn’t falter—in fact, he tightens his hold, pressing his fingers in between Jihoon’s knuckles. His palm sweats profusely against Soonyoung’s cold hand. So much for skinship.

“Ah, you two are so cute!” Sejeong says. In her language, it must’ve been a form of greeting. She’s wearing a plain white shift dress, while Nayoung wore a gray _Harvard University_ hoodie. They contrast each other very well.

“Hey baby brother, can you bring this for me?” she kicks the bottom of the pink suitcase so it could stand upright. Soonyoung takes the handle without protesting.

“Do you want me to help you?” Jihoon murmurs.

“No,” Sejeong says, dragging Jihoon towards her, linking their arms together. Soonyoung suppresses a laugh. “For now, I will take Jihoonie with me. I need to orient him with what goes on with you Kwons. You two should take care of the luggage.”

Jihoon looks absolutely terrified, staring at Soonyoung, silently screaming for help. Soonyoung nods at him, “ _fighting!”_

Sejeong drags Jihoon to the check-in counter. Soonyoung and Nayoung follow minutes after.

“Let her be,” says Nayoung. She picks up the bags and stacks it on the suitcases. Soonyoung does the same, though he takes the heavier ones. “She’s been planning that all-day long.”

“I hope she doesn’t scare him,” they start walking. “Well, it’s not like he’d actually get scared. I just don’t want him to get intimidated.”

“Don’t worry, Sejeong’s going to give him pretty good tips. It’s a great achievement for her to have passed Gran and Mom’s standards. It’s not like she needed to actually try, though.”

“And to think, Sejeong was our childhood friend. Wait, when the three of us hang out together, do you and Sejeong…”

“Sometimes,” Nayoung answers honestly.

“ _Jesus._ ”

“You asked. I answered.”

“I appreciate your honesty,” Soonyoung says. He then spots Sejeong throwing her hands in the air, gripping her Prada shades (Nayoung says it’s fake, but has good quality anyway, so who’s the real winner here.) Jihoon nods, shielding himself from Sejeong’s handbag. The Interior Designer apologizes for almost hitting him.

“Oh, and Soonyoung? After a business meeting with Dad, I waited for Sejeong by the lounge. It was lunch,” Nayoung starts. Soonyoung raises his eyebrows, not really knowing where Nayoung was heading, so he lets her continue. “There were a few employees talking about Jihoon and you. But mostly about Jihoon.”

“What did they say?” honestly, he wasn’t so surprised of the information. A picture of him and Jihoon kissing in the elevator went viral in the firm anyway. Understandable.

“I confirmed it with Sejeong and she said it was true.”

Soonyoung frowns.

“I didn’t know Jihoon had a reputation?”

 

『♛』

 

 

“Hello, sir, would you like tea? Coffee?”

“Oh, I would like—”

“No thanks,” Soonyoung interrupts, stretching his hand over Jihoon’s seat, gripping the arm. “You can go now.”

“It’s okay,” Jihoon says slowly, giving Soonyoung a puzzled look. “Though a blanket would do. Thank you.”

The steward flashes Jihoon a bright smile, turning back with his cartwheel of goods and airline souvenirs (the mug caught Jihoon’s eye, but he doesn’t say anything), stopping when a passenger asks for coffee. Jihoon shivers under the cold temperature, hugging his arms. Albeit the struggle, he attends to other matters. He asks Soonyoung, “what happened to you?”

“Nothing,” Soonyoung replies curtly, folding his hands together. He nuzzles his nape to the comfortable head rest. He clears his throat. “I have a jacket on my backpack. I could get it for you.”

“No, it’s fine. I asked for a blanket, anyway.”

“Oh. Okay, then.”

The goddamn steward arrives. “ _Sir!_ Here’s your blanket. I hope you enjoy your flight!”

“Thank you,” Jihoon says, unfolding the blanket.

“Sir, would you like me to do it for—”

“I’ll do it,” Soonyoung takes the blanket from Jihoon, glaring at the steward. “Really nice service, though. I’ll remind myself to take first class next time. You can go now. Thanks.”

“Why are you so worked up?” the Engineer asks as the steward takes his leave. “Do you even know that guy?”

“No, I don’t,” Soonyoung spreads the blanket on Jihoon, pinning the edges between the back of Jihoon’s shoulders and the inside back of the seat. “ _There._ ”

“It’s a one hour and fifteen-minute flight,” Jihoon says. “And I plan to sleep through it. Wake me up ten minutes before landing.”

“Wait, Jihoon, don’t sleep. _Wait._ ”

“I haven’t even closed my eyes,” mutters Jihoon. “What do you want.”

“I heard something about you.”

Jihoon hums. “Go shoot.”

“I never knew you had a reputation,” Soonyoung stares off the window, nodding to an absent beat. Jihoon frowns. “Ah, people these days.”

“Architect Kwon, I have two reputations. Be more specific.”

“No, it’s fine. Forget it. Go sleep now. Sweet dreams, Engineer Lee.”

“Sure,” Jihoon closes his eyes, pressing his cheek against the neck pillow for better comfort. “Remember to wake me up.”

 

 

 

 

According to Sejeong’s orientation earlier, half of the Kwon’s moved to Jeju island for sole business purposes only, meaning, none of them really grew up in the place. Nayoung lived in Jeju with the same reason. She’s currently handling the Jeju branch of the firm they worked under for.

 _No need to get intimidated,_ he remembers Sejeong saying after paying for a piece of hotdog sandwich. She squirts the ketchup and mayonnaise at the same time. _They’re really nice people. Do you have any experience in meeting your partner’s relative before?_

Surprisingly, he takes Sejeong’s advices to heart. Tries to. He spots Soonyoung’s Gran easily, since she held a nicely written bond paper with their names on it. Something hits him when he sees his’ along with Soonyoung, Nayoung and Sejeong’s.

“Showtime,” Soonyoung whispers. He takes Jihoon’s empty hand. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” Jihoon nods. He’s nervous. Tips and advices thrown out of the roof. Soonyoung must’ve noticed since he squeezed his hand. He mouths, _just like we talked about_.

They approach Soonyoung’s Gran. A beautiful woman stood beside her, wisp baby hairs breaking out of a neat bun. It was Nayoung and Soonyoung’s Mom.

“And you must be Jihoon,” Soonyoung’s Mom says, embracing him. Jihoon pats her back as a response. He had stood behind the group during the initial greeting. “Soonyoungie, he’s such a beauty! Why didn’t you tell me about him earlier?”

“Oh, dear, I only found out about it a week ago,” Soonyoung’s Gran comments. Despite her old age, she walks just fine. Her hair is dyed black. “I’m sorry, I only gushed about you. Soonyoung never really brings anyone home.”

Soonyoung clears his throat, “okay, Gran! Where’s our ride?”

“You’re being too selfish, Soonyoungie! We want to get to know your lovely boyfriend more.”

“Mother, he’s a very respected Engineer in the firm, too!” Sejeong says, her arm wrapped around Nayoung’s. The latter nods in agreement and adds, “I’ve heard, too.”

“Oh, uh,” Jihoon tries to find a right response. “That’s too much…”

“Aw, he’s so cute!” Soonyoung’s mother squeals, stealing him from Soonyoung’s hold. “Gran and I will borrow him for now, okay? No buts!”

“I might miss him, though,” says Soonyoung, grinning. He takes Jihoon’s suitcase. “Don’t take him away for too long.”

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon gets hogged by Soonyoung’s Gran and Mother in the whole duration of the car ride to their mansion. He doesn’t mind, though. He answers every question politely. Where he lived, where his hometown was, which university he went to. It’s almost evening, the sky at a darker shade of blue, and Soonyoung’s Gran announces that she had the maids ready the dinner as they spoke.

Soonyoung sits at the very back of the car, lightly conversing with Sejeong and Nayoung. Jihoon had been accustomed to seeing Soonyoung wearing semi-formal clothes all the time, even when he surveyed construction sites with him before, holding a color palette, checking if the shades of the walls were painted right.

“Later in dinner, I want to hear how you got together with my son. Is that okay?”

Jihoon smiles. “Of course, Mrs. Kwon.”

“Oh no, just call me Mother. Sejeong calls me that, too,” she hums, “you know, you’re the first romantic partner of Soonyoungie’s brought home. So you must be really special. I can see it.”

Jihoon nods silently. However, everything’s just pretend, so personally to him, it doesn’t really count. But Soonyoung’s Mother smiles gracefully and expectantly. “Well, your son is really special, too.”

“A perfect fit. An Architect and a Civil Engineer.”

 

 

 

 

“It just…kind of happened,” Soonyoung starts, putting down the bread knife. He places his hand atop Jihoon’s. “We were working on our first project. Of course, we had to spend a lot of time with each other. He had to give a say in my designs and such.”

“We wanted to rip each other’s head off,” Jihoon adds. Keep it close to the truth. “I underestimated his plumbing designing skills.”

“I’ll have you know I was only one of the few who passed plumbing class during my last year in college,” Soonyoung says. The others chuckle, especially Sejeong, who gripped the spoon and fork tightly, completely immersed in their made-up story. Even Nayoung seemed interested. “Anyway, Engineer Lee here annoyed very much. He was uptight, grumpy, strict, didn’t know how to have fun—”

“Okay, I get it, sweetie.”

“—he drinks black coffee, and the sweetest thing he probably ever tasted was a cup of mocha. Basically I hated him.”

Jihoon stomps Soonyoung’s foot. “I hated him, too. In fact, after that project, I vowed to never work with him again.”

“But then we got offered a second project. The client specifically asked for us, so we had no choice.”

“But surprisingly, we got along. It was a huge break for us. It earned me a promotion,” says Jihoon. “Soonyoung had a better plumbing design.”

All of them laugh. Ah, Engineers, Architects and Interior Designers.

“After the project, we exchanged numbers, and our Kakaotalks. Ever since then, we got closer,” Soonyoung squeezes his hand. This is the lie: “as we got closer, I realized how beautiful and talented he was,” he looks at Jihoon. “I looked forward to seeing him every day. I hate wearing neckties, but I bring one anyway so he can tie it for me. And then, it just kind of happened.”

“We fell in love and got together,” Jihoon finishes. “It’s been four months.”

“Yes, four months.”

“You see,” Soonyoung’s gran starts, wiping a lone tear. “This is why I wanted a couple to handle the indoor amusement park project. Their story is just so beautiful.”

“I know,” Soonyoung’s Mom started tearing up, too. Nayoung quickly hands her a tissue. “It’s just. I’m so sorry, I’m being emotional. I’m so glad my baby boy found a lover like Jihoonie.”

“I’m really lucky to have him. He’s my everything,” Soonyoung gives Jihoon a chaste kiss on the side of his head. Jihoon stiffens but keeps up a smile.

“Oh my God, Nayoung,” Sejeong says, shaking her fiancée’s wrist. “I think I’m going to cry, too.”

 

 

 

 

“That was level one, right?” says Jihoon, referring to the questioning earlier.

“Yup, the next levels get even harder, I’m sorry,” Soonyoung apologizes as he takes off his socks, sitting at the end of his queen-sized bed. The room was too personal for Jihoon’s liking. Varieties of movie posters everywhere (most are action movies), Lego figurines on the shelf, and framed pictures of Soonyoung's childhood days. The only thing he was familiar of was the drafting table against the wall.

“We did well, so it’s okay. Let’s just hope I can manage in the future,” Jihoon shimmies his sandals off. “Do I really have to sleep in the same room as you?”

“Of course, you should. We’re supposedly dating. You’re going to sleep on the bed, though. I’m sleeping on the floor.”

“Good.”

“Okay, babe, I’ll be taking a bath first,” pet names have become an inside joke for them now. “You can stare at my childhood pictures and appreciate the magic of puberty.”

Jihoon laughs. “I will.”

When Soonyoung exits the room with a grin, Jihoon slumps down on the bed. It’s soft, friendly to his aching back. He takes out his phone, calling Seungyoon, who earned himself a speed dial spot from Jihoon.

_“How’s your fabulous vacation going? Have you two made out yet?”_

“To know what it’s like.”

“ _Huh? What do you mean?”_

“You asked me what’s in it for me. This whole pretend dating thing. That’s my answer,” Jihoon sighs. “I want to know what it’s like to be with him.”

 _“My poor best friend,”_ Seungyoon coos. _“So are you admitting you still have a crush on the ever so dashing Architect Kwon Soonyoung?”_

“I hate you,” he pauses, bites his lips, and nods. “Yeah. Maybe.”

 _“Well, if anything, you shouldn’t get carried away,”_ advises Seungyoon. _“You might end up getting hurt.”_

Jihoon closes his eyes. “I know.”

 

『♛』

 

_good night_

“I’m right here,” Jihoon looks down on him, his eyes half-open. He groans, “you could just say it to my face.”

“I like keeping tradition,” replies Soonyoung softly. The extra mattress is thick enough.  

“Just go to sleep, Kwon,” Jihoon lies back down, shoving his hands under the pillow. He feels his phone.

_good night too_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- it's 1am right now in my country, I'll properly edit this soon!  
> \- "starlight is shining down shalalalala" is from the song fading starlight by annyeong bada (it's often used for variety shows lol)  
> \- kang seungyoon as in kang seungyoon from winner  
> \- again, this is dedicated to ate ayrene and lyn, my loves!  
> \- hope y'all enjoyed this chapter <3 comments and kudos are very much appreciated

**Author's Note:**

> dedicated to @aeriseu and @moonlightline! they keep me up until midnight to god knows what time, talking about soonhoon and other stuff, and I'm just really glad I met them. 
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy this fic!


End file.
